Stuck To Choose
by NarutardedAngel
Summary: SasuNaru/Implied NaruSaku- Naruto's always had to make a lot of important decisions in his life. Now he had to make one that might break up him and his best friends. Who will he choose?
1. Chapter 1

Stuck To Choose

SasuNaru/NaruSaku

Chapter 1

The wind whooshing around my fingertips in the dead of night was relaxing; something that I often needed but almost never had. Or maybe I've just been saying that because, lately, I've had a lot on my mind. Considering what's happened in the past two weeks and what more there may be to come, I can't do anything but try to relax. Although that usually seems out of the question.

You may be wondering why I, Uzumaki Naruto, am so incredibly frustrated. Well, it's not much of a something that's been bugging me, but more of a someone. Two someones, for that matter. And for the past day and a half, all I've been able to do is lay here on my orange-covered bed and twirl my kunai around my fingers. It seemed to be the only thing to calm me. At least, for now it is. There used to be so much more that could cool me off before this whole scenario had to happen.

I should probably explain myself. But, I'm afraid that if I do, I might only become more angered and snap at someone. So, instead, I think I'll show the objects of my irritation and what it is that's gotten me so twisted….

Tired and hungry, Team 7 was out on another mission. Of course, if I were to be Hokage, I wasn't going to sit around and complain, something that I actually did a lot. So, instead, I kept my mouth shut and trained my eyes to stare ahead. Unluckily for me, what was right in front of me was my best friend, and, of course, rival, Uchiha Sasuke. My eyes tore away from him as fast as they had been fixed on him, and I felt myself blush. So, instead, I look a little to the right, enough so that I couldn't see Sasuke unless I looked out the corner of my eye, and instead was met with pink, fluffy hair and warm green eyes. I groaned internally, feeling my heart beat quicken as her eyes connected with mine and she gave me a sweet smile. That was Haruno Sakura, our other team mate and my friend.

I gripped the straps of my backpack tightly with my perfectly tanned hands and decided that it was just best if I kept looking down. Sure, it was a contrast from my usually hyperactive actions, but it was better than having to be tortured by the two of them. They probably don't even have a clue of what they do to me…

And yes, if you haven't figured it out, I i_do/i_ have a crush on both my team mates and friends.

Doesn't that spell out 'trouble' for you?

I hadn't realized it at first, though. I had always liked Sakura, that was true, and fairly obvious. But Sasuke…he was a different story. He had always been my best friend, and he'd been there for me a lot of the time…but at some point, I had started liking him more than a friend.

Maybe it was the kiss we accidentally shared the day we were placed on our teams, or maybe it was the way that he had risked his life and practically died to save me from Haku. Either way, I knew that I was madly in…..no, I won't say love, because I don't know what love feels like. All I know is that it's too strong of a word to describe how I feel about him, and Sakura, too.

So for now, I'll just say….madly in _like._

Soon enough, my thoughts had made the trip go by a lot faster. We were on a mission to deliver some important artifact to our client in the land of waves. None of us knew what it was, and truthfully, I could care less. Sakura seemed to be the only one even vaguely interested in what we could be protecting. All I could care about was not getting attacked by those stupid bandits that seem to be magnified to us-they attack us on almost i_every/i_ mission like this-, and that we would be getting home soon. Even though the mission just started yesterday, I already feel so far away.

I sighed to myself as the sun began to set, slivers of the orange rays breaking through the tree tops and hitting our heads. Another hour passed, and soon we stopped to set up camp, seeing as it was already dark by now. As usual, Sakura would get her own tent, and so would Kakashi….but Sasuke and I had to share. It was like this on every mission, and I would always ask "Why do i_I/i_ have to share a tent with Sasuke?!"And I would always get the same answer: "Because, Sakura's a girl, I'm too old, and you two are friends anyways," Kakashi always said this; I just wished that whenever I would ask, he'd give me a different answer.

I sighed and walked back to my tent-well, i_our/i_ tent, now-, and sat down on my sleeping bag, which was on the very edge of the tent. Tonight I actually wanted to i_not/i_ worry that I might accidentally roll onto Sasuke in my sleep and do something I might regret. I say this because…. the night before I had i_already/i_ gotten lost in my dreams and…slung my arm around him. I don't know if he noticed it, though, or even if he did, if he i_cared/i._ Either way, I didn't want it happening again, so I just stayed curled up on my side of the tent, huddled in my sleeping bag, willing myself to fall asleep before Sasuke would walk in.

Of course, my body got the best of me, because it usually takes me a good ten minutes to finally fall asleep. And Sasuke had walked inside in the next five. My heart skipped a beat as I felt him walk past me and over to his sleeping bag, and I relaxed as I heard the soft i_whoosh_/iof air escaping it as he sat down. But I could feel his eyes on me; watching me, studying me. It was driving me i_insane/i._ So, I did the natural thing; peeked my head out and over the covers and glanced up to him. And, as expected, his eyes were looking right into mine. Instinctively, we both glared at each other, my face reddening in the slightest, and I huffed. "Teme, what are you looking at?" I asked irritatingly, sitting up now. Sasuke didn't say anything back, he just kept glaring, and personally, it was making me uncomfortable. "Oi, you gonna answer me or not?!" I asked, crossing my arms as I narrowed my eyes at him.

Finally, he just sighed and shook his head. "Usuratonkachi…" he began, closing his eyes for a moment. "Why is your sleeping bag so far away?"

My eyebrows rose in surprise. In the Uchiha's question, there was a hint of concern; like he cared if I was too far, or if I would roll out of the tent in my sleep. Now this i_seriously/i_ bothered me. "Why do you care?" I asked back, my tone not as harsh.

His eyes snapped open, glaring expertly my way. "I don't,"

I felt a sense of humor pass through me, and I couldn't help but smirk at him. "Then why did you ask?"

Sasuke rolled his eyes. "Because I wanted to know, idiot," He replied, a faint smirk twitching at his lips as he continued to watch me.

I sighed softly to myself and lay back down, looking up at the top of the tent. Darkness encircled us-we had turned out the gas lamp earlier- but I could still see Sasuke perfectly, as he could see me. "Because I kick in my sleep," I said simply, knowing that this was only going to make Sasuke start up another round of questions.

I was undeniably right, because then Sasuke crossed his arms unbelievably my way and retorted "I've slept next to you before. You don't kick in your sleep," in a smart-aleck tone of voice.

I scowled at this and sent another glare his way. "That just shows what you know! I do too kick in my sleep, so I'm staying over here for the night," I said, and covered my head once more with the sleeping bag, hoping that that would settle things.

I was wrong.

I had heard Sasuke let out a soft groan, sounding pretty frustrated as he walked over to me and ripped the sleeping bag cover from my head. "Dobe, I'm not a heavy sleeper, and you've never kicked me before. You don't have to be so far away," I looked up the moment my covers had been removed, and I peered into Sasuke's obsidian eyes as he spoke. I gave him a half-confused look as I sat up, hands in my lap. There were no words now as he half-heartedly pulled my sleeping bag closer to his own, with me still sitting in it, and he lay back on his. He lay on his side so he was facing me, and I had realized just how close he had moved our sleeping bags together. I lay down as well, facing him, and I felt my cheeks burn as I noticed how close together our faces were now. I felt my heartbeat quicken and I gave a small smile to my raven-haired friend, and I closed my eyes, hoping that I would be able to sleep now.

….Again, I was wrong.

Soon enough, I had felt Sasuke move in his sleeping bag, and I felt an arm wrap around me, pulling me closer to Sasuke. My eyes shot wide open and my head began to spin. I glanced up to Sasuke only to see his eyes closed and that he had shifted over to his back. Even though I knew he couldn't see me, I gave him a confused look as I squirmed a little in his hold. As if he knew just what was happening, he whispered "Naruto….just go to sleep…" and held me closer to him, until my head was on his shoulder. Now I wasn't even sure if I i_could/i_ fall asleep…..

For the last time, I was wrong.

That night was the first time I had slept peacefully in a long time.


	2. Chapter 2

Stuck To Choose

SasuNaru/NaruSaku

Chapter 2

The next morning I woke up, slowly at first, and with my eyes still closed. The first thing that came to mind was the fact that I was still in Sasuke's arms…and that we had stayed like that the entire night. I wasn't sure why, but I actually i_liked/i_ the fact that he was still here.

I finally let my eyes drift open slowly and was met with dark locks of Sasuke's smooth hair against my cheek. My lips twitched as a smile began to form, and I absently wrapped my arm around his waist. I wasn't sure if Sasuke was already awake, but even if he was, I just planned on going back to sleep anyway. I sighed softly to myself, our exchange from the night before replaying in my head as my eyelids began to droop, darkening my vision of our dimly-lit tent.

That's when I felt it. At that moment, I felt something soft and smooth press against my lips, sending me back to my awakened state. I didn't open my eyes, because I thought that maybe I still could have been dreaming, or, if I wasn't, that Sasuke had thought I was still sleeping. That is, if it was Sasuke who was kissing me, because I really didn't know. But then again, who else could it be?!

After a few moments, I pressed against those lips tentatively, not completely sure if I was supposed to or not, and really not really knowing ihow/i to kiss. I had never kissed anyone before, except Sasuke, of course, but that was a long time ago! Not to mention it was a complete accident and it barely lasted more than three seconds. But I must admit; those three seconds were bliss to my lips. And now I was experiencing that all over again, but ten times better as I felt the pair of lips move gently against mine.

Now I was positive it was Sasuke. Hell, how could it not be? It was surprising, though, how those soft, moist lips that were always hurling insults my way could somehow be so sweet! So, slowly, I opened my eyes once again, and I was met with a similar picture of last time; except now it was Sasuke's closed eyes; his thick, long black eyelashes brushing against the tops of his tinted cheeks and the creases in his eyelids seeming to be smoothed down, up to the point where they were barely even there anymore. I smiled at this; it was nice to see Sasuke's face peaceful and calm instead of full of its usual tension. Gently, I ran my fingertips across his cheeks, brushing a few of strands of his dark ebony bangs away from his face.

To my dismay, this made him pull back abruptly, and his eyes opened and locked with mine. As I gazed into those endless onyx orbs, I couldn't tell if Sasuke was angry with me or if he was more surprised that I was awake. Or maybe I did something wrong? Was I a bad kisser? Did I have morning breath?!

My thoughts seemed to run through my mind at lightning speed, but my eyes never moved away from Sasuke's, and vice versa. We just looked at each other through hazy eyes and tinted cheeks.

"Sasuke-kun, Naruto, it's time to get up!" Of course, the sweet yet loud voice could belong to no other than the rosette on our team, Sakura Haruno as she unzipped the tent and peeked inside. Thankfully, she had taken long enough to let Sasuke and I separate from our more-than-casual embrace and make ourselves look presentable; our version of presentable being that we looked like we had woken up no more than five minutes ago.

I was the first to do something, grinning up at Sakura as I sat up. "Good morning, Sakura-chan!" I greeted her, equally as loud. I suddenly became self conscious; no wonder Sasuke didn't want to be on our team at first. We can get pretty loud! Sakura just giggled at me, glancing to Sasuke if not only for a moment, before telling us that we were leaving the campsite in no less than an hour. Of course, for us that meant in two hours minimum seeing as our sensei is always one to be late, even when on a mission. She gave a warm smile to the both of us before leaving our tent once more, slightly flustered. It took me a moment to realize why, though. Last night Sasuke and I had forgotten to put shirts on. Or at least I did; I was too busy with trying to fall asleep before he came inside. 'Weird,' I thought as I scratched the back of my head, deciding to lay back down on my sleeping bag for a while. 'She's never gotten like that during training missions…'

Of course only I could so quickly forget that Sasuke still even existed, seeing as I was completely ignoring him now. Once realizing that, my eyes snapped open and I looked to my right, and surely he was still there, sitting cross-legged and watching me with curious eyes. I was beginning to feel self-conscious all over again, and that was extremely strange for me, seeing as I'm usually never even conscious of ianything/i, much less myself. So I sat up, mirroring Sasuke as I looked back at him. Instantly I could feel my body go numb and my stomach begin to flip over and over, and I felt as if my face was about to catch on fire. Why is it that I've never felt this before, and why now? And if now, then why iSasuke/i?! What is it that I'm feeling, what's going on?!

I could barely concentrate on one thought as those dark, endless eyes continued to stare into mine, as if we were both just statues molded to sit like this for all of eternity, staring into each other's eyes. But somehow, I saw Sasuke as a more perfectly sculpted statue; one with perfect posture and smooth, porcelain skin, his face tilted to an angle that was just right and his eyes positioned so that they could peer into my very isoul/i.

….Oh god, what am I saying?!

I only watched as Sasuke finally moved from his perfect stillness, slowing inching towards me as if in slow motion. I could do nothing; my whole body was still frozen, except for my stomach, which was throwing a party with butterflies, professional acrobats, and very active frogs. I wasn't sure what Sasuke was going to do next. Was he going to kiss me again? Or maybe bail out at the last millisecond and smirk at me like it was all just a joke?! Wait; what if this iis/i just a joke?! I didn't have time to think, though, as Sasuke gently cupped the side of my face with his warm hand and just left it there; leaving his thumb to almost normally fall into a soft caress on my cheek.

I was stunned to say the least.

Not just because Sasuke was showing a completely different side of him, one that showed he was capable of being a nice and caring person, or at least it seemed, but that he was also showing this side to ime/i, or anyone at all for that matter! It really blew me away, but I couldn't help but give a small smile in reply to the gesture. How else was I supposed to act?! And what was I to do now? Just sit there and wait for Sasuke to do something, or maybe do the same to him? And God, since when do I think so much?!

Sasuke just smirked at me, as if he could read every thought that was crossing my mind, and he closed his eyes for a moment. It looked like he was the one thinking now, though I'm almost sure he was thinking before, too. When he looked up again, he ended up just gazing into my eyes like before, but something was different. It was as if there was this sort of longing behind the hardness of his eyes that hadn't been there before, or maybe I just hadn't noticed it. Either way, he pulled his hand away now, probably feeling a little uncomfortable about the whole thing, and stood as he began to pack his things. I shot him a puzzled look but shook my head clear of any more rambling thoughts as I did the same; rolling up my sleeping bag, gathering my random necessities around the tent and putting them in my bag. I was waiting for Sasuke to leave the tent before I would change, because I knew I'd end up feeling extremely self-conscious if I dressed in front of him.

To my dismay, Sasuke wouldn't leave either, and he had also saved changing for last. It looked like he didn't care much if I was there or not, because he had already changed from his pajama pants to his plain white shorts, although he was still shirtless. For once I couldn't help but notice the developing muscles in Sasuke's body, and how lean and built he really was. Something made me snap my attention away from the ravenette's upper-body, though, and I realized it was Sasuke's own questioning stare.

My face began to heat up again as I finally caught on that I was full-on istaring/i at my best-friend's chest. He crossed his arms and smirked at me, but didn't say a word as he arched an ebony eyebrow in my direction, as if expecting me to say something.

So, suddenly, I did. "Er, Sasuke, I've-I've gotta ask now…Uh….what exactly…are we now….?" I blurted out very reluctantly, but it was something I had really been thinking about since last night. But then it dawned on me; did it really matter? It was just us holding each other in our sleep, and then a kiss this morning. Did it really mean anything after all? Or, if my fear is confirmed, did it really mean anything to Sasuke?

As if expecting the question, Sasuke gave a soft sigh in acknowledgement and sat down, motioning for me to come sit down next to him. I did as told and looked to him with a questioning gaze, awaiting his answer. "Whatever you want to be, dobe," He didn't look at me as he spoke, thinking it better to focus his attention to the dirt ground underneath us. I, for one, kept looking at him, newly-thought question overflowing my mind. "What do you mean by that, teme?" I asked stupidly, even though I knew exactly what Sasuke meant.

He rolled his eyes slightly, then glanced to me before looking back down at the ground. I caught his eyes, though, and they seemed a bit unsure of something. "We can be whatever you want to be. We could be friends, rivals, teammates….or something else," He said, giving a slight shrug at 'something else'. I frowned slightly as I contemplated what could and what would happen if we stayed the way that we were or if we went on to be something more. Most of the results ended up with me being either upset, confused, or not even in the same atmosphere as Sasuke.

It was like Sasuke could read my mind, because at that moment he stood up again, brushing himself off as he walked over to his bag and pulled a shirt on hastily. "You don't have to tell me now; but do let me know when you decide, because right now…" He murmured just loud enough for me to hear him, and he turned to me with his dark eyes, a sort of pleading looked hidden behind them, "I know as much as you do….Naruto…"

And with that, he left me alone with my scrambled thoughts and a frown on my face.


	3. Chapter 3

Stuck To Choose

SasuNaru/NaruSaku

Chapter 3

After leaving the tent, I wasn't very sure what to expect anymore. But what I was met with was just the usual; Kakashi sitting on a near-by log with his nose in his pervy book and Sakura gathering her items randomly throughout the campsite.

Sasuke was nowhere to be found.

I couldn't exactly say I was relieved, but I couldn't say that I was worried, either. I guess it was a mixture of the two; glad he wasn't around so that I wouldn't have to deal with any uncomfortable situations, but also wondering where the hell he could have gone in ai_forest/i_, of all places. I decided to just shrug it off, he'd come around eventually. And if he didn't, Sakura and I wouldn't dare leave without him.

That's also what was bugging me. Sakura. What was I going to do about Sasuke if I still had this mega-crush on Sakura, as far as everyone else knew, especially her. Sure, last night had been interesting, and I had felt things that I never had before, things I might not feel with a girl, or maybe even another guy. To complicate things more, I don't even think I'm actually iin/i to guys! Sasuke's the only one. Then again, I can't see why not; it only explains why he has so many fan girls. And...Maybe now a fan boy.

I shook my head roughly at that. No. INO!/i I wasn't falling for my best friend, my rival, my team mate, MY Sasuke!

…Okay, maybe I iwas/i falling for him. And falling ihard/i.

So, I'll admit it to myself. I had a huge crush on Sakura-chan, and I'm beginning to like…oh, who am I kidding, I've liked him for a long time!! I like him a lot!!!!

All this thinking seriously was making my head hurt, so I decided it best that I sat down for a bit. Maybe it was the lack of sleep that was making me think these crazy things? Even though I know full well that these thoughts aren't all that crazy; they're just the truth.

So, the truth now. No beading around the bush. I have a big crush on my team mate and friend, Haruno Sakura, and now I've come to like my other team mate, best friend, and eternal rival, Uchiha Sasuke even more.

…The truth hurts. But it's the truth.

I sighed, gripping my head as I leaned against the trunk of a tree, sitting in the shade near where Sakura was now working on un-pitching her tent. That reminded me; I still had to pack up me and Sasuke's tent. But that could wait. I liked watching Sakura-chan work; it fascinated me and kept me busy.

I know, that sounds really…weird, like I'm a stalker or something. For that I blame the Pervy Sage, but my attraction to her is that and no less; an attraction. So of course I'd watch her, and she either didn't mind or never noticed. Sometimes I'd catch myself staring at her whenever she'd move in a certain way and notice how perfect her hair framed her delicate, attentive face and really brought out her beautiful green eyes, or how her body was perfectly curved and her clothes swayed in the wind. Something about Sakura-chan was just different about the other girls. She wasn't too shy, and not too bold, she was smart and very pretty, and she was all-around a nice person. Unless you got her mad, then she's just plain scary. I should know, I've seen that part of her many…many times.

I opened my hazy blue eyes to look at the green leaves above my head, and I couldn't help but smile. I loved nature, I really did; the way it was just so beautiful without even trying. And it always reminded me of Sakura-chan, too. She never really tried to look the way she is, she just sort of…does. That's the kind of beauty that I love; natural beauty. Not like Ino, who puts pound after pound of makeup on every day. I don't know why she even does, if it all just melts off during training anyways. Girls have always been a mystery to me….

Maybe that's why I like Sasuke so much? But then again, he's not any easier to understand; if at all, he's even more difficult. He never really tells me much, and he's always so quiet and protective about everything. In his own Sasuke-way of course. And everything that he says just has to be perfect and hand-picked from his mind. He's never scared, and he always has that blank face whenever I look at him; emotionless, indifferent. It's like….it's like he's wearing a porcelain mask or something. But that's also what I like, and this is probably the reasons that the girls like him too. His skin is a milky white, very pale and soft and smooth...Which is a wondrous contrast with his onyx hair and eyes.

And his hair, that was another mystery! How the hell did he get it to stay up like that?! I know he doesn't use gel, because his hair runs free when the wind blows it, and it's not spiky in the slick sense. And if he idoes/i gel it, why the hell would he style his hair like ithat/i?! It looks like a duck's ass! …But I can't help but love it, too.

His eyes were another thing; similar to his face, but completely different. I've heard people say that eyes are the gateway to people's souls. Yeah, well they better tell that to Sasuke because he keeps a pretty tight hold on his soul. His eyes, although dark, show usually nothing. Yes, there's the glimmer of deviousness, of hatred, and vengeance and of content from time to time, but I've never exactly seen a Sasuke behind them. It's sort of like he's hiding behind those eyes all the time…

The only time I've ever even been close to seeing his real self was last night and our battle with Haku. With Haku, he practically idied/i to save me, and I did all I could to save him. Last night he showed me that he icould/i be compassionate if he wanted to; that he did have a side that really cared.

Then again, if he didn't care, why would he bother talking to me? I felt my eyes close and my head start to throb once more. Thinking about all this at once ireally/i wasn't a good idea for me. Once I looked back up at Sakura, she was gone, too. I furrowed my eyebrows as I stood, looking around curiously, wondering as to where she might have gone. Did she go look for Sasuke? I noticed her tent was already down, and so was mine, so either Sasuke was back and did that or Sakura had done it for me. I guessed Sakura had, seeing as Sasuke-teme would probably just get angry with me and tell me to do it or something. He was always the bossy type.

Out of nowhere, Sakura stepped in front of me, smiling her sweetest as she gazed into my eyes. Immediately I could feel the grin growing on my face, my whiskered cheeks growing upwards as my grin widened. "Hey, Sakura-chan! I was wondering where you went!" I blurted out. I never was able to think much when I was with her, so it was normal for me.

She only smiled and nodded, returning the greeting with a softer "I went into the forest for a moment. Have you seen Sasuke around? It seems like he's disappeared or something…" It sounded like she was uncertain. Now I began to wonder…did Sakura-chan still like Sasuke? I mean, sure, every girl in Konoha has come to have at least a crush on the avenger, and Sakura had told me she had gotten over it a while ago…but could she still have some feelings for him that she didn't want me knowing about?

This worried me. It worried me a lot. I was beginning to worry myself, and I was about to go off into another thinking tantrum before I caught myself and remember that Sakura was still right here. I scratched the back of my neck and offered what I could. "Sorry, Sakura-chan, I haven't seen him since he left the tent…"

She seemed unsurprised and gave a small shrug, offering his sweetest smile. "Well, that's okay, I'm sure he'll come back soon enough. Besides, it doesn't look like we're going anywhere soon with Kakashi-sensei reading his book again," She then looked over to Kakashi, who seemed to be in a completely different world from us, off with bimbo girls and muscular guys. I only rolled my eyes at him as I looked back to Sakura, noticing once more how very green her eyes were. Every time I looked into her eyes, I always felt like I was in a trance or something. It was like I was floating, or in a world where nothing could go wrong, and it was just myself and her, together and alone, just to be here….

"Oi, Usuratonkachi, Sakura, we're leaving,"

That snapped me back to the present easily. Very easily. That voice could belong to no other than Sasuke. I looked to him, and he and Kakashi were standing near the tree where I had been, backpacks strapped on and tents un-pitched. I looked around confused, wondering really for how long Sakura and I had been standing there, just looking into each other's eyes. She was blushing lightly, looking uncertainly from Sasuke to Kakashi, and nodded with a small "Hai!" before grabbing her belongings and dashing towards their retreating backs. I did the same, catching up so that I was right behind Sasuke and Kakashi, with Sakura to my right.

Sasuke hadn't looked at me since from the moment he had called my name. And by that look, this was going to be one hell of a trip to the Land of Waves.

About twenty minutes after our departure, Sasuke had unnoticeably fallen back so that he was by my side now instead of Kakashi's, and Sakura was farther up ahead. Meaning, if Sasuke and I had wanted to speak about something, and we did it quietly, they wouldn't hear a word. Probably perfect for him.

That is, if Sasuke even ended up saying a word to me. Usually when he's angry, he's either extremely quiet-as always, but you can tell that he's angry just by his aura-, or he entirely blows up and yells at you. I was the one he usually yelled at, if I wasn't already the ionly/i one he yelled at. But it wasn't much, he'd say a few words angrily my direction, then leave to be alone and not be found for the rest of the day. I wonder what he does when he goes off like that…

My thoughts were cut short as I felt eyes on me, and I look over to see it's Sasuke looking straight at me. I can't help but feel myself blush from the intensity of his gaze, not being able to read any of the emotions that hid behind the darkness-as always. He didn't say anything at first; we just looked at each other; me with confusion, him with something fully indescribable. Then he shook his head, looking away from me with a bitter smirk tainting his lips. Confusion was the only thing pouring onto my face now as I watched him, wondering whether I should ask or not. He made the decision for me. "Looks like you and Sakura were having a good time," He spoke softly, I myself almost not hearing him had I not been so concentrated on the ravenette. Another blush splashed across my cheeks as I frowned. I wasn't sure how to reply to that, so I just did with the obvious. "Where were you the entire time?"

He only rolled his eyes at me and threw back an "I was training," nonchalantly. Then he spoke again, making it sound like he wanted to stay on the topic. "…You seemed to be lost when you looked at her,"

Now I was thrown back. "What do you mean by lost?! I knew exactly where I was and what I was doing!" I snapped back, lowly, of course. It would be strange if Kakashi or Sakura caught even a snippet of THIS conversation. He rolled his eyes here. "I meant, you seemed lost in her eyes. Like you couldn't look away if you tried," I noticed that with each word he said, he was trying to say something else. And there were tinges of jealousy hidden within his words; I could ifeel/i it as he said them. "Well…I kinda was…" I murmured, feeling my blush intensify as I looked to Sakura now, knowing she couldn't see me.

"You don't look at each other the same," He said suddenly after a long pause. He hadn't said it bitterly this time, no trace of jealousy or hate; just as a simple fact. "Wh-What?" I couldn't help but not understand this one. He sighed, looking to me with tired eyes. "I said that you and Sakura don't look at each other the same. You look at her like you're mesmerized, like she's the greatest thing in the world and she's all yours or something, like something beautiful waiting to be claimed, while she…she looks at you like nothing more than a friend. She may show interest…but not in the way that you do…"

Sasuke never fails to shock me. And this time for two reasons; this was the most words he's used in a sentence that I've ever heard him say in ages. It was kind of hard to keep up. And…that he had actually even said that in the first place. It seemed like he was finally opening up. And I iswear/i, it sounded as if he was about to say more before he finished that sentence, something very close to the lines of "not like the way I do,". That made me blush deeply, for reasons I was too occupied to figure out now, and I just looked at him. I never knew that this avenger of mine-yes, I will now call him mine, because he technically is mine- could actually be so…sentimental. I smiled softly to him, and in a very low, very soft whisper, I said "….You wish that I'd look at you that way…ne?"

I could almost ifeel/i the blush the landed across his face at my words, and he looked down to cover it with his ebony bangs. He said nothing, and he did nothing but walk forward and keep his eyes trained on the ground in front of him. This was definite proof. And here I couldn't stop myself as I walked a little closer to him, close enough that our hands brushed every so often, and when I had built enough courage to do so, I let my hand slip into his the next time they bumped together.

What made my heart soar was that he held onto mine as well, and he never let go.


	4. Chapter 4

**Oh my good God, you guys. I'm so sorry. I completely forgot about my stories here on FF, and I've been uploading everything onto my dA account...granted that this story has only moved along about 2 chapters, and I lost everything I had for the sixth one. Well, if anyone's still following this, which I doubt, I applaud and thank you greatly! I hope you enjoy this chapter as well as the next one!**

Although being hand-in-hand with Sasuke had its perks, it didn't make the rest of the trip go by any faster. If anything, it made everything go by in slow motion, almost in a daze. I wasn't sure why- I would assume it would be practically the opposite. But, I wasn't much of a thinker to begin with, despite my recent antics, so I just let my mind wander. Which, as I've recently learned, isn't the best thing for me to do.

I couldn't stop myself as I wondered whether or not this was the best idea- being involved with Sasuke this way. I mean, yes, I wanted this- but did he want it as much as I did? He wanted this, maybe- but to some extent. I had never experienced feelings such as these before, so who was to say that this would even _last_ if it were to happen? I sighed softly, casting my cerulean gaze upwards to the graying sky. It felt like a storm would be coming soon, and that meant we might have to stop to set up camp _again_. Who knows what would happen then.

I didn't sense the next thing that happened- Kakashi stopped abruptly, his visible eye glinting dangerously as he glared past Sasuke and I. We let go of each other's hands immediately, my face flushing only slightly at the thought of being caught like _that_. But Kakashi wasn't even paying attention to us, and that sent us into a guarded state. Narrowing my eyes, I looked behind us as well, but saw nothing. "Sensei?" I heard Sakura ask in front of us, and it sounded as if she were uncertain about something. Which would make sense, because I felt as confused as her voice let on.

Abruptly, Kakashi withdrew a kunai, eyes still narrowed as he focused on some distant place. "Bandits," He murmured quietly, enough so that we could register the fact that we were about to be assaulted. Sakura gasped, shocked by the fact that they had gotten past their defenses, which hadn't been too high at the moment. Sasuke sneered, gripping his kunai pouch stealthily as he, too, took out a kunai, looking behind us from the corner of his eyes. I could practically _feel_the fight about to begin.

And with that, a pack of bandits struck at us out of nowhere, blades and several other lethal weapons in hand. Kakashi charged forward, just about ready to puncture one of the bandits in the stomach. Sakura stepped back, probably wondering about a practical attack maneuver to take out the bandits with. I, on impulse, charged right along with Kakashi, a low growl passing through my lips as the bandit I was facing dodged my attack easily with his own kunai. I glanced to my left for just a moment, and saw that Sasuke had also gotten into the action, effectively kicking one of the bandits in the head, rendering him unconscious. But I couldn't let my focus slip- these were no ordinary thugs. At the same time, they were ninja. Rogue ninja. As soon as my eyes met my opponent's, he flung himself toward me, kunai aimed right for my chest cavity. I side-stepped him easily, and registered a snapped roundhouse kick into his side. He stumbled, and I took the opportunity to fling a few shuriken at him, which sunk easily into the thin, dirty flesh of the thief.

Suddenly, I was tackled to the ground from behind, and grubby hands were at my throat and shoulders, pinning me to the ground. I was stuck, could barely move- but that didn't mean my hands couldn't. I easily performed my signature jutsu- for all who have yet to figure this out, that's my _'kage bushin no jutsu'_- and two clones were immediately at either side of the crook above me, and axe kicked him in the back. I internally shuddered at the sound of bone crunching on top of me and the painful groan that escaped the man's lips, but thought almost nothing of it as I flung him off of me, ready for another attack.

Everything but being tackled _again_. Was I a target prone to tackling or something? Was it national 'tackle Naruto in a fight' day? Seriously! But...this body felt different. Lighter, more secure. And…good-smelling? Since when do bandits smell like lavender? Oh…wait…only one person I knew could ever smell like lavender and pull it off. It could only be the teme. "Sasuke, what the hell?" I growled as I turned my head to glare at him, but he wasn't even paying a hair of attention to me. What a surprise. He was looking behind us, and suddenly, an explosion arose from where I had been standing.

Sasuke…saved me? From a trap? Well this was new. Not fairly, amazingly new, but it was new enough to shock me. "Sasuke…" I breathed out, but he wasn't done yet. He jerked his head to the side- I noticed his eyes were spinning chaotically with his sharingan- and twisted his legs over me to push at nothing. Or so I thought; a bandit appeared from thin air there, and he was knocked back a few feet, at which point the Uchiha jumped off of me and performed his Pheonix Flowed jutsu, effectively burning the bandit to a crisp. I got up again, looking around to see Kakashi battling the last of the bandits, and Sakura standing over an unconscious one, smiling smugly to herself. I looked back over to Sasuke, and he was glaring down at the ashes at his feet, miniscule flames still licking at the remains. "Teme…you okay?" I asked softly, and he turned his blood red eyes towards me. Nodding curtly, he began to walk away, hands clenched into tight fists, which I could see made his hands much whiter than usual.

Immediately, Sakura ambushed him and clung to his arm, grinning foolishly. Right, sure. Sakura didn't like Sasuke anymore. Of course she didn't. And I believed I had a chance how? I could practically feel my heart sink lower in my chest, but I sighed and put on my fake grinning façade, bouncing over to the rest of my team as Kakashi soon joined us. "Good job, team 7. We'll continue with our journey for about 2 more hours, then we'll set up camp again. We should reach the Land of Waves by sunset tomorrow evening, so get a good night's rest," He said, before turning away and signaling us to follow. We did as told, and this time the walk to our next campsite went a bit faster than before.

After setting up camp and having dinner, which was abnormally quiet today, I retreated for my tent- well, as I've already said before, me and _Sasuke's_ tent. Great. As soon as I walked inside, I took my shirt off, along with my pants, and tried to find my bag with my sleeping clothes. Not that it really made a huge difference to me- I could sleep in my boxers, or with my normal clothes. But, of course, that _would_bother me now with Sasuke around. "Well, what do we have here, kono usuratonkachi?" I heard a voice behind me murmur mockingly, and there was reason behind it, too. I was currently bending over my bag in the corner of the tent, which had been precariously hidden behind my sleeping bag, with my butt facing the opening of the tent. A blush played over my facial features, and I growled something unintelligible under my breath, before standing and facing the Uchiha, crossing my arms over my bare chest. "What do you want, teme?" I practically hissed, my lower lip jutting out slightly to form into a pout.

Sasuke kept his icy eyes one me for a moment longer than necessary- it made me uncomfortable at the fact that it was that _obvious_- before he shrugged and crossed the tent, gathering his own things. "To change in peace," He replied lowly, peeling off his shirt as he rummaged through his bag for his pajamas. As this morning, I noticed Sasuke's defined stomach features- what, did that last fight just make him even _more_ muscular than before? Soon enough, Sasuke turned toward me and raised his ebony eyebrow again in silent question, arms going to cross over his own ivory chest."See something you like, dobe?" He mocked, a smirk tugging at one of the corners of his lips. I shook my head furiously, looking away as I continued to change. He had to stop doing that, dammit! It was _way_too inviting! After a low chuckle from the Uchiha himself, I finished dressing and set up my sleeping bag in the middle of the tent, not even beginning to wonder of what would happen tonight. Soon enough, Sasuke joined me on the ground with his navy sleeping bag, also staring up at our dimly-lit ceiling; neither of us had decided to turn out the kerosene lantern yet. Although the silence was calming, lulling, even, I felt the need to break it. Something about silence just bugged me, and that was something I couldn't help. "….Thanks for…saving me today, teme…" I murmured, turning my head slightly to see Sasuke's shadowed expression. His skin looked lighter in the yellow light, almost chalky. He didn't turn to look at me.

"Hn…it's nothing new, dobe," He murmured, onyx eyes still looking to the top of the tent with a somewhat-thoughtful glint in them. I could tell he didn't want to talk, but again, the silence would slowly kill me. But miraculously, I could wait-something else held my attention.

After another few moments, I turned on my side so I was facing the ravenette, sapphire eyes dancing across his features. High cheekbones, long eyelashes, smoldering irises, thin lips, raven locks, narrow eyebrows, practically perfect nose. He contrasted himself in so many different ways…it didn't make sense. But I hadn't even realized that I was watching, _studying_ Sasuke again until he turned his head so his eyes met mine. He didn't seem irritated, or bothered, as he had the last time- though of course he was good at covering up his so-called flaws- what he liked to call his emotions. But just now, in this soft topaz light, he seemed so honest, so _pure_, that not even words could begin to describe or eyes begin to believe. A slow smile found its way onto my lips, and I could feel my eyelids begin to droop. I wasn't that tired, really, but we had already experienced a long day. Delving into Sasuke's eyes this way, it made me want to get closer to him, to allow myself to see deeper into his eyes; his soul, as someone else would say.

But before I could do anything else, Sasuke turned away, the lightest, and probably the only smile I would ever see, gracing his lips. It wasn't like mine, though. It didn't shine true happiness, or allow the same sense of warmth- then again, most of my smiles weren't that way, either. But Sasuke's smile, his miniature, half smile, was…sad. As if someone had just introduced him to a person who was going to die tomorrow, and all he could do was try to smile, but instead felt pity. How…strange. "We should go to sleep…" He murmured softly, his eyes glancing to me from the corners. I nodded, and despite myself, I was frowning. Although the Uchiha wasn't looking in my direction anymore, it was like he knew that I was upset- for some unexplainable reason- and he deftly wrapped an arm around my shoulders, pulling me closer. "Did you sleep well last night?" He whispered softly into my ear, and I couldn't deny the hot blush that invaded my cheeks. I could feel his face rise slightly, his shoulders shaking- probably from his quiet laughter. Obviously, he could take that as a yes. "Good…" He muttered softly again, and he turned his head to press a not-so-subtle kiss to my temple. I closed my eyes, but smiled all the while, gently turning my head into the crook of his still-lavender-smelling neck. Seriously, how did he get it to smell so good all the time! It was beyond me. I allowed one of my arms to wrap around the Uchiha in response, cuddling closer to his warmth, though I wasn't cold in the least.

After another few moments, I heard him sigh through his nose- he had probably closed his eyes by now- and mumble "Good night…Naruto," into my hair.

My smile grew in the slightest, and I raised my head to press my lips to Sasuke's jaw. "G'night…Sasuke…" I murmured back, my stomach doing a small flip before letting me rest in peace.

In all of this, there was only one little thing that was bothering me.

I still hadn't been able to decide what we had become.


	5. Chapter 5

As the morning previous, I was easily and most calmingly awakened in Sasuke's arms. The only difference was that the Uchiha was still fast asleep, and I had the privilege of watching his face finally melt into one of serene composure. Honestly, this would definitely explain the reason for his infinite amount of fan-girls. With Sasuke unconscious and only inches away from myself, I could freely and shamelessly watch him and understand the reason he acted so guarded all the time- or, at least _try_ to. And this could easily be depicted as any fan-girl's dream.

Except, I wasn't a fan-girl. Nor was I a fan-boy, to all of you who are so convinced of that fact. Sasuke could just be a little bit…overwhelming. Do you ever see me fawning over him and staring at him when he's not looking, or even somewhat stalking him around the entire village of Konoha? No, you don't. And last night did _NOT_ count.

Either way, with the time that I was given now to, in a way, study Sasuke, I was easily indulged. Much like last night, I took note of how long his eyelashes were, the contrast of his jet-black hair to his pallid skin, the arch of his eyebrows, even. But now, I noticed other things. The slight flush of color to the apples of his cheeks, natural to one in that sleeping state, his thin lips parted so minutely, only someone as close as myself would have noticed, and even more that he was breathing through his nose and not his mouth. I could feel the steady rise and fall of his chest under the palm of my much tanner hand, the heat radiating in small waves off of his neck and touching my face- which, of course, caused some coloration to my own cheeks. Though that was nothing out of the ordinary. I could hear the soft whistling of Sasuke's breath as he inhaled, and the even softer whooshing sound he made when he exhaled. His expression, although obviously tranquil, also embraced a few emotions which were seldom seen on any Uchiha's face. Sadly, these were completely indescribable, at least, for me. And, it never failed that Sasuke should smell like lavender, even overnight. Just...damn it! What did he USE?

But, as all things must end, Sasuke surely woke up moments after I had so intensely taken in every little detail of his beautiful face. Blinking a few times, his eyes that resembled coals beginning to cook in a grill- black but notably warm- fluttered open to focus on the ceiling. And, as any ninja would, he felt my eyes still glued on him. He peered at me from the corner of his eyes and smirked- this effectively made me blush, but not at being caught. This I was already much too familiar with, having Sasuke notice I was staring at him. I was sure he was just as used to it as well. No, it was the faint glimmer of his white teeth between the slight gap that the corner of his lips made when they pulled up. Of course- the Uchiha just had to be perfect in practically every way. "Morning, teme!" I murmured happily into his collar bone, still feeling a bit drowsy myself.

I felt his chest rumble soundly under my hand again, an evident sign that he was hiding a soft chuckle. "Good Morning, dobe," He mumbled back softly, giving one of my shoulders a soft squeeze. Smiling still, I slowly sat up, rubbing one of my eyes as I stretched my neck up, down, left, right, before my eyes landed on Sasuke again. If Kakashi was right, this would be our last travelling day- we would arrive at the land of waves by late afternoon today, deliver whatever important necessity it was that we needed to deliver, and be back to Konoha by dusk. That meant another night or two with the teme, depending on how quickly our journey back was. Either way, I didn't mind right about now. It's not as if Sasuke and I were on bad terms.

Or so I thought.

The morning carried on as normal; the three of us silently eating our breakfast with Kakashi off in his tent doing who knows what, then shortly taking off for the Land of Waves. This time, as to not tip Sakura off for any reason, Sasuke walked up in front with Kakashi-sensei, which left Sakura behind them with myself. She never really spoke to me much, except to insult me, like Sasuke normally would, but she could still be mostly nice to me on occasion. Apparently, one of these occasions was today. The entire three hours it took for us to get there she spent by keeping me busy with small talk and friendly chatting- everything from what valuable item we could possibly be delivering to the variety of different ramen flavors and condiments, to which I'm pretty sure I babbled enough for the four of us. Sasuke seemed to be on a different air wave than us, because he completely blocked us out, as he usually would. I tried not to think much of it, though. He _was_ trying to keep everything normal, after all.

Soon enough, we reached the main gates leading into the Land of Waves, and in about another hour, we were already on our way back home. Still chatting happily with Sakura-chan, it soon became dark and we had to set up camp. But we had made good progress- since Kakashi had taken to sprinting across the tree tops on the way back, we had covered about half the distance very quickly. Why we didn't do this on the way to our destination is beyond me. After helping Sakura set up her tent and wishing her a good night, I was on my way back to me and Sasuke's tent. Before being able to fully walk away from her tent, though, the pink-haired kunoichi grabbed me by my elbow, spinning me around so that I was facing her yet again. With an innocent smile and the slightest tinge of a blush on her cheeks, she looked into my eyes- she didn't have to look up very high- and gave me a quick hug. A bit taken aback, I gently patted her shoulder, my other arm wrapping around her waist. "What's wrong, Sakura-chan?" I asked softly, confused, but didn't show it.

In another moment, she pulled back, her eyes glimmering in a way I had only seen when she fawned over Sasuke, and shook her head, still smiling. "Nothing's _wrong_, Naruto. I just…I guess I never saw you for who you really are. You're really a great guy, and a great ninja, even if you can be no less than an idiot sometimes," Here, she paused to giggle a bit, bringing a hand up to her mouth. "Well, anyway…I'll see you in the morning," She said gingerly, and before going back into her tent, she leaned up on her toes to give me a quick peck to the cheek, quickly zipping up the tent's flap behind her.


End file.
